Hawaii Celebrates Volunteering for “Give Back December”

“Give Back December is a statewide visitor volunteer engagement campaign that brings together not just visitors, but residents, nonprofits, businesses and schools in a concerted effort to take grassroots volunteer action that serves our communities,” officials from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority said. “”We seek to grow visitor engagement opportunities this December by working with hundreds of local nonprofit organizations to host visitor-friendly volunteer events across the islands to support more authentic connections through service work.

“Most events held during Give Back December have an environmental stewardship focus and can range from park and beach cleanups to food drives to lo‘i and loko i‘a (taro patch and fishpond) restoration.”

I’ve done several volunteer days in Hawai‘i over the years; planting trees on Hawai‘i Big Island, cleaning up beaches on Maui, clearing invasive tree species on Molokai (and Maui). It’s a very rewarding experience, and now is a great time to give back to the islands.

The Olowalu Valley on Maui, Hawaii. JIM BYERS PHOTO

Here is a volunteering story I posted on my site not long ago, focusing on a beach cleanup and helping get rid of invasive tree species in the Olawalu valley on Maui.

“The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority is supporting Give Back December through the 2023 Community Enrichment program, which fosters community-based experiences that engage residents and visitors alike. We are proud to uplift the important work that Kanu Hawai‘i is doing to connect visitors and residents with community-based service opportunities as we move toward a regenerative model of tourism.”

Visit www.KanuHawaii.org or www.GiveBackDecember.org to participate in a volunteer opportunity or add one to the website.